Malibu, Calif. –  The No. 43 UC Santa Barbara Men's Tennis team is set for a crucial three-match road trip featuring two Big West matchups and a top-20 non-conference showdown. The Gauchos will kick things off against No. 20 Pepperdine on Wednesday before heading south to face UC San Diego and No. 45 UC Irvine in back-to-back Big West contests over the weekend.

DETAILS
Match 17
Wednesday, Apr. 9 | 2 p.m.
No. 43 UC Santa Barbara (13-3) at No. 20 Pepperdine
Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center | Malibu, CA

Match 18
Friday, Apr. 11 | 12 p.m.
No. 43 UC Santa Barbara (13-3) at UC San Diego
Northview Tennis Courts | La Jolla, CA

Match 19
Saturday, Apr. 12 | 12 p.m.
No. 43 UC Santa Barbara (13-3) at No. 45 UC Irvine
Anteater Stadium | Irvine, CA

HISTORY
Pepperdine leads the all-time series against UCSB, 9-2. The Waves won last year's meeting 6-1 in Santa Barbara, but only three players from that match remain on this season's roster. Pepperdine enters Wednesday's match looking to bounce back after a 4-3 upset loss to Pacific last Friday.

UC Santa Barbara is undefeated against UC San Diego, holding a 5-0 all-time record. The Gauchos earned a 4-1 victory over the Tritons last season and will look to continue their dominance against a UCSD team that enters the match with a 6-10 record.

In the long-standing rivalry with UC Irvine, the Gauchos hold a 21-10 series edge. However, UCSB will look to avenge a 4-1 loss in Irvine last year. The Anteaters are off to a strong start in Big West play and are coming off a 4-1 win at Cal Poly.

FALL RECAP
The UC Santa Barbara Men's Tennis team competed in the Battle in the Bay, with Gianluca Brunkow and Dominique Rolland each securing notable victories. Brunkow advanced to the quarterfinals in singles before falling to the fifth seed, while he and Rolland reached the doubles semifinals, where their run ended against the 25th-ranked duo from Cal.

At home, the Gauchos put on an impressive performance at the Fall Tennis Classic, with Diogo Morais winning the singles championship and Charlie Underwood claiming the Flight C title in his debut. Additionally, three doubles teams secured championships: Brunkow and Gustav Theilgaard in Flight A, Conrad Brown and Rolland in Flight B, and Underwood and Matei Gavrea in Flight C.

At the ITA Southwest Regional Championships, Conrad Brown and Dominique Rolland reached the doubles semifinals, while Rolland and Gianluca Brunkow advanced to the singles quarterfinals. Despite strong performances, the Gauchos' runs ended in the semifinals and quarterfinals, respectively.

At the Dennis Rizza Classic, the team achieved strong straight-set victories in singles, with Lucca Liu, Diogo Morais, and Charlie Underwood all winning their opening matches. Matei Gavrea also advanced after a tough match against Arizona.

At the ITA West Sectional Championships, Gianluca Brunkow secured a consolation win after falling to No. 103 Maxi Homberg, while Dominique Rolland was defeated by No. 32 Henry von der Schulenburg. In doubles, Conrad Brown and Rolland fought hard but lost to UC Berkeley in the round of 16.

In the most recent ITA rankings, two Gauchos appear in singles: Gianluca Brunkow (79) and Diogo Morais (110). Brunkow and Dominique Rolland are ranked No. 48 in doubles.

ABOUT THE GAUCHOS
Roster | Schedule
Overall Record: 13-3
Big West: 3-0
Home: 8-1
Away: 3-1
Neutral: 2-1
Against Ranked Opponents: 2-1
ITA Ranking: 43
Streak: W3

ABOUT THE WAVES
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall Record: 12-7
WCC: 2-1
Home: 5-3
Away: 3-3
Neutral: 4-1
Against Ranked Opponents: 8-5
ITA Ranking: 20
Streak: L1

ABOUT THE TRITONS
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall Record: 6-10
Big West: 3-0
Home: 4-3
Away: 1-5
Neutral: 1-2
Against Ranked Opponents: 0-2
ITA Ranking: N/A
Streak: W2

ABOUT THE ANTEATERS
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall Record: 13-4
Big West: 3-0
Home: 7-2
Away: 6-2
Neutral: 0-0
Against Ranked Opponents: 1-2
ITA Ranking: 45
Streak: W3

UP NEXT
Following their road trip, the Gauchos return home to face Blue-Green rival Cal Poly in their regular season finale on Saturday, Apr. 19 at 2 p.m. at the Arnhold Tennis Center.